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Friday, May 16, 2008

Poetry Friday - To Sleep

Work was crazy this week and I've had a lot on my mind, so I'm very tired and desperate for a good night's sleep. Apparently, people had this same problem in the 16th century. Here is a sonnet from that time about sleep.

To Sleepby Sir Philip Sidney

Come, Sleep; O Sleep! the certain knot of peace,The baiting-place of wit, the balm of woe,The poor man’s wealth, the prisoner’s release,Th’ indifferent judge between the high and low;With shield of proof, shield me from out the preaseOf those fierce darts Despair at me doth throw:O make in me those civil wars to cease;I will good tribute pay, if thou do so.Take thou of me smooth pillows, sweetest bed,A chamber deaf to noise and blind to light,A rosy garland and a weary head:And if these things, as being thine by right,Move not thy heavy grace, thou shalt in me,Livelier than elsewhere, Stella’s image see.

I checked the old Oxford English Dictionary, but could not find an entry for prease. Any thoughts on this one?

The round up this week is being hosted by the fine ladies at Two Writing Teachers. Do stop by to read some of the wonderful poetry being shared this week. Before you go, be sure to check out this week's poetry stretch results. Happy poetry Friday, all!

**UPDATED - Believe it or not, I was exhausted at the close of last semester (what does THAT say about me?) and posted a poem about sleep then as well. It was a sonnet by John Keats, also entitled To Sleep. Drug of choice, indeed!

I've never lived this far north -- the sun is going down at 8:45 already and coming up juuuuust shy of 5:00 a.m. -- so it's disrupting my sleep cycle and I'm going to have to figure out how to nap somehow!

I sleep well most of the time, though since I've been trying to remember my dreams this past year, most of them are somewhat tense or disturbing, so I wake up a little out of it. Maybe I was better off not remembering!

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